11:00 AM – Phyllis Yasutake: Storytelling
Northwest African American Museum
“This summer at the Northwest African American Museum, gifted griots—storytellers—will enchant young and old with tales recounted following oral traditions. Children of all ages are invited to experience the art of storytelling and the power of stories…” (NAAM)
[LINK]

12:00 PM – David Morrell: The Shimmer
Seattle Mystery Bookshop
“Santa Fe police officer Dan Page tracks down his missing wife only to witness a bloodbath in Rostov, a remote town in Texas famous for a massive astronomical observatory, a long-abandoned military base, and unexplained nighttime phenomena that draw onlookers from every corner of the globe. Determined to solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights in order to save his wife, he discovers that the decaying military base may not be abandoned at all, and that the government may have known about the lights for decades–and the unimaginable danger behind them.” (SPL Summary)
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Love and Exile: True and Fictional Journeys from Local Writers: Reading & Signing
Richard Hugo House Cabaret
“Two Seattle authors celebrate their recently published books–Midge Raymond’s award-winning short story collection, “Forgetting English” (Eastern Washington University Press) and Janna Cawrse Esarey’s travel memoir, “The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers and a Woman’s Search for the Meaning of Wife” (Touchstone). Readings, Q & A, slideshow, cocktails. This is a party, folks!” (RHH)
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Mahbod Seraji: Rooftops of Tehran
Elliott Bay Book Co.
Debut, bildungsroman, roman a clef… Only the setting, Iran during the Pahlavi regime, distinguishes it from the usual debut, but I’ve been seeing a lot more novels about Iran and Iraq, or by authors with a relationship to the region, over the past three years, so even the locale is beginning to pall. Decent, earnest writing, but not original enough to rise above other novels of the type.
[LINK]